Mary Ellen Avery
Mary Ellen Avery | |
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Children's Hospital Boston |
Mary Ellen Avery (May 6, 1927 – December 4, 2011), also known as Mel, was an American pediatrician.[1] In the 1950s, Avery's pioneering research efforts helped lead to the discovery of the main cause of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in premature babies: her identification of surfactant led to the development of replacement therapy for premature infants and has been credited with saving over 830,000 lives.[2] Her childhood, mentors, drive, and education inspired Avery to be the visionary that she was. In 1991 President George H.W. Bush conferred the National Medal of Science on Avery for her work on RDS.[3]
Early life
Mary Ellen Avery was born May 6, 1927, in Camden, New Jersey. Her father owned a manufacturing company in Philadelphia and her mother was vice-principal of a high school in Newark, New Jersey.[3] Avery's parents moved to Moorestown, New Jersey when her older sister was born. It was the 1930s and her father was in need of vision. He was interested in the manufacturing of cotton goods so he took out a loan of $2,000 and opened his company in New Jersey, which would later grow into New York. Although Avery's family had their financial struggles, she had a very pleasant childhood. As a child, Avery would read the stock market to her father since he could not read. Her parents stressed the importance of an education and reading became a great hobby of Avery's.[4] An early inspiration was pediatrician Emily Bacon, who was a professor of pediatrics at Woman's Medical College. Bacon was Avery's next door neighbor and she would visit her frequently. Avery greatly admired Bacon, since she took Avery to see her first premature baby. "She kindly reached out to me in many ways, and I saw her life as more exciting and meaningful than most of the women I knew," Avery has recalled.[5] Bacon's single, career driven lifestyle was inspiring to Avery and she wanted to lead a similar life.
Education
Avery's parents devotion to their daughters education led to both Avery and her older sister to attend
Career
Avery returned to Johns Hopkins for her internship and residency, and then moved to
In 1960, Avery became an assistant professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University and pediatrician in charge of newborn nurseries. In 1969, she was appointed physician-in-chief of the Montreal Children's Hospital, the first woman to serve in that position.
In 1990–91, Dr. Avery became the first pediatrician to head the President of the American Pediatric Society.[9] She has been involved in child healthcare delivery worldwide, as an active member of UNICEF.
Death
Avery went into retirement in the late 1990s and she aspired to aid “mothers of the world sharing a common cause that life will be good for their children.” Mary Ellen Avery died on December 4, 2011, at the age of 84 in Wellesley, Massachusetts.[1][3]
Notable work
- CLEMENTS, JA; AVERY, ME. Lung surfactant and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine. 157, 4, S59-S66, 1998.
- AVERY, ME. A 50-year overview of perinatal medicine. Early human development. 29, 1–3, 43–50, 1992.
- AVERY, ME; ROTCH, TM. The care of infants and children. Acta paediatrica hungarica. 31, 2, 149–158, 1991.
- AVERY, ME. Historical overview of antenatal steroid use. Pediatrics. 95, 1, 133–135, 1995.
- AVERY, ME. Changes in care of the newborn : personal reflections over forty years. Neonatal network. 13, 6, 1994, 1994.
- AVERY, ME. Pioneers and modern ideas : neonatology. Pediatrics. 102, 1:3, 270–271, 1998.
- AVERY, ME. Significant events in neonatal care. Neonatal network. 13, 6, 1994, 1994.
Awards and honors
- 1968 E. Mead Johnson Award for pediatric research
- 1973 Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences[12]
- 1984 Trudeau Medal from the American Lung Association
- 1991 neonatal intensive careand "a major advocate of improving access to care of all premature and sick infants."
- 1994 Member of the National Academy of Sciences
- 2005 John Howland Award
References
- ^ a b "Mary Ellen Avery M.D. Obituary: View Mary Avery's Obituary by Courier-Post". Legacy.com. Courier-Post. 4 December 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ "Avery, Mary Ellen". Scienceheroes.com. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f "Mary Ellen Avery, Premature Babies' Savior, Dies at 84". New York Times. 11 January 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ^ Gartner, Lawrence (April 4, 1998). "ORAL HISTORY PROJECT, Mary Ellen Avery, MD" (PDF): 85.
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(help) - ^ "Biography: Dr Mary Ellen Avery". Changing the face of medicine exhibition. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ^ Gartner, Lawrence (April 4, 1998). "Oral history project, Mary Ellen Avery MD" (PDF): 85.
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(help) - ^ Gartner, Lawrence (April 4, 1998). "Oral History Project, Mary Ellen Avery MD" (PDF): 85.
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(help) - Montreal Gazette. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ a b "A tribute to an unforgettable mentor". www.healio.com. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
- ^ a b "Mary Ellen Avery". Harvard Magazine. 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
- S2CID 54236581.
- ^ "Book of Members, 1780-2010: Chapter A" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
Further reading
- Shearer, Benjamin; Shearer, Barbara, eds. (1996). Notable women in the life sciences : a biographical dictionary. OCLC 832549823.
External links
- Dr. Mary Ellen Avery on the site of the National Library of Medicine
- International Pediatrics Research Foundation (includes photo)
- Mary Ellen Avery papers, 1929-2002 (inclusive), HMSc201. Harvard Medical Library, Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Center for the History of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
- Digitized Images from the Mary Ellen Avery papers
- Link to Dr. Mary Ellen Avery on the site Scienceheroes.com
- Mary Ellen Avery on the History of Modern Biomedicine Research Group website